This internet is slamming President Donald Trump after he tweeted Friday that Iran “never won a war, but never lost a negotiation” hours after the Pentagon confirmed that an airstrike in Iraq had killed Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.
“Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation!” Trump wrote, seemingly suggesting that he prefers war than losing a negotiation with Iran.
Trump, who has yet to publicly address the details of the actual decision, sent the tweet early Friday morning after retweeting a number of messages about the strike, including a State Department travel advisory urging American citizens to leave Iraq immediately due to heightened tensions in the region.
Trump has earned praise from Republicans for authorizing the strike against Soleimani, a top Iranian commander in Iraq. But Democrats have warned of destabilizing consequences of the move while criticizing the administration for failing to properly notify Congress. By Friday morning, Iran was promising a “harsh retaliation.”
Tensions in the region have spiked in recent days after a rocket attack killed an American contractor in Iraq on Dec. 27. Trump has blamed Iran for the attack with no evidence.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, however, has said the strike was conducted in response to “imminent threats to American lives.”
Their comments follow a Thursday Pentagon statement confirming that Soleimani had been killed.
“This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans,” the Pentagon said. “The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world.”
Soleimani was killed at Baghdad International Airport, as was, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed Iraqi militia the Popular Mobilization Forces, Iraqi state TV first reported Thursday.
Trump sparked an avalanche of negative comments after his tweet:
Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2020
Trump claims Iranian general was plotting imminent attacks. At this point nothing trump administration says can be believed. It’s headed by a sociopathic, serial liar.
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) January 3, 2020
We know your playbook. Blaming predecessor doesn't give you a pass. pic.twitter.com/9L20wjvUdn
— Mary Quite Contrary (@ContraryMeri) January 3, 2020
All I know is when Obama was president, #WWIII never trended on Twitter.
True story.
— Angela Belcamino (@AngelaBelcamino) January 3, 2020
It’s a diversion from impeachment. Nothing more than a supersized trump style diversion.
— Jude E. Ward 🦋 (@judithmedward) January 3, 2020
Let’s make this perfectly clear. Any retaliation by Iran squares solely at the feet of Donald Trump and this administration. We’ve assassinated the 2nd most powerful person in Iran, like our VP. This cataclysmic course of events all started with JPCOA withdraw and CIA operations
— ♻️🇺🇸 Christopher Zullo (@ChrisJZullo) January 3, 2020
You’re an ignorant cowardly draft-dodging sociopath with no strategic plan or regard for human life other than your own. Get the fuck off twitter and do whatever you can NOT to start WWIII… #Trump #Iran #Soleimani
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) January 3, 2020
What is your response?
